What's on this weekend in Melbourne

Discover things to do in Melbourne this weekend, from free events to exhibitions, attractions and places to visit.

The NGV and Arts Centre lit up on a winter night.

This weekend

A group of people who have stopped to listen to a speaker on a tour at the Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne.
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Discover Local Social Enterprises: Tour

Take a tour of the social enterprise marketplace at Queen Victoria Market.

Cartoon like illustration of two people from behind, wearing headphones and working at a synthesizer keyboard.
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Synth 101 (Women, Trans & Gender Diverse) Workshop

A hands-on introductory workshop for women, trans and gender diverse people to begin sound-making!

Comedian Rao lilt in red and green with floral backdrop.
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Scientist Comedy Show

A stand-up comedy show by an astronomer turned comedian.

Medium close-up shows a woman with short brown hair and light skin wearing a black top, her eyes are not in the frame.
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Social Networks

An exhibition that explores how we approach social and physical environments through language.

A performer on a stage wearing a costume, talking into a microphone they hold in their hands, in front of a live audience.
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Muck Shop: Alternative Comedy Show

Award-winning comedians doing characters, sketches and other weird bits they can't do anywhere else.

A silhouette of a person dancing on a stage with a pink floor, in front of screens displaying the words "ONE LAST PASS"
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Heartbreak Hotel

The sold-out RISING hit Heartbreak Hotel returns to steal your heart again.

Monochrome blue-washed image of two people embracing, one about to kiss the other on the cheek, with a yellow monochrome circle in the centre.
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Q-Lit Festival

Naarm's premier LGBTQIA+ literary festival celebrating queer voices, history and joy.

Pianist Andrea Lam wearing a sleeveless shimmering pale dress standing in front of a grand piano.
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Andrea Lam plays Tchaikovsky

Embark on a Nordic musical journey with Norwegian conductor Tabita Berglund.

A fluffy dog on top of a building with a fake skyline in the background of skyscrapers and a large moon.
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New Owner

Using puppetry and live action animation, New Owner takes us on an adventure through a dog’s eyes.

Comedian Annie Louey on stage holding a microphone.

Comedy Sanctuary

Unwind after the working week at Melbourne's most relaxing comedy night at a wellness studio.

Video still from a film, two people hugging against a plain, light grey background, with both their faces covered.

Dead Parents Club Premiere

See a world premiere screening of APHIDS' first feature film at Melbourne Documentary Film Festival.

Royal Exhibition Building filled with food stands, signs and people during a food festival event.
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The Little Food Market

Taste your way through Australia’s ultimate culinary playground.

A Collingwood AFL football player with his fist clenched and pumped during a match, a blurred stadium crowd in the background.

AFL Round 19: Collingwood v Carlton

Don’t miss Collingwood and Carlton in a Saturday night blockbuster at the MCG.

A hand-drawn startled cartoon character with wide eyes throwing a flurry of playing cards in front of a real shop entrance.

Zine Jam Workshop

Come work on a zine game you’ve got or get help making a new one.

A wine tasting event with numerous attendees browsing booths.

Taste the Top Wineries

This is your chance to taste the top wineries of Australia in 2026, as judged by The Real Review.

People gathered in a circle holding cups in front of a glass teapot.

Mindful Meets: Breath and Tea

A morning to reflect, make friends, and sip on yummy teas.

Black and white photograph of the founder of the Tough Guy Bookish Club, Shay Leighton, drinking a beer and smiling slightly.

Tough Guy Bookish Club

Come together for an afternoon of rowdy, bookish conversation.

People gathered under a tented outdoor event roof with hanging lights.

Verbena Rooftop: Latin Winter Festival

Celebrate Latin America with music, dance, food and community.

Comedian Ben Russell, with a fake moustache, dark glasses and a red zipped up tracksuit jacket, posed against a stylised futuristic city skyline.

Barney Pollock: King of the Pigs 2

Character comedy at its finest from Barney Pollock.

Seated man playing a classical guitar in front of a large oil painting.

Rupert Boyd in Concert

Rupert Boyd performs guitar in his grandfather's iconic modernist house museum.

A young boy running in the kids dash at the Run Melbourne event, a parent behind him.

Run Melbourne Kids Dash

Kick off the Run Melbourne race weekend with the Kids Dash.

A light show experience with people walking through a darkened space with a deep blue light illuminating them.

Converge

A one night premier immersive light and surround sound installation.

Regular weekend events

Lightscape installation at night with purple images of trees.
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Lightscape

Melbourne's favourite winter tradition Lightscape returns to Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Visitors enjoying an evening event at the National Gallery of Victoria, seated on stools under shadowy lighting.
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NGV Friday Nights: Cartier

NGV Friday Nights shine with Cartier, featuring live music, flims, food and drinks.

Two young adults observing a sculpture in a gallery space with digital and scupltural displays.
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EMERGENCE[Y]

An exhibition exploring how adaptation in a world of flux unfolds in every layer of life.

A person in a gallery setting looking at a sculpture of an oversize wooden pipe with a sculpture of a giant peeled mandarin balanced on the pipe.
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Poetry Goes No Further Than Language

Explore a moment in mid-1980s China when a group of artists began to question values about art.

Two actors wearing formal clothes in a spotlight on a theatre stage during a performance of Pretty Woman: The Musical.
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Pretty Woman: The Musical

A dazzling stage adaptation of one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time.

Two people standing in front of a large pink spiky wall of speakers in an exhibition space.
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Reverb: A Journey into Sound

ACMI and RISING present The Vinyl Factory: Reverb, a major exhibition of vinyl culture and music.

Private dining bubbles in a designed space with greenery and fairy lights.
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Fern’s Hidden Winter Garden

Enjoy a unique winter dining experience in a private botanical conservatory.

An exquisite Cartier diamond tiara, suspended against a black background.
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Melbourne Winter Masterpieces: CARTIER

Featuring nearly 400 extraordinary jewellery objects, alongside rare archival materials.

An ancient Roman marble bust with its nose chipped off, displayed on a small square plinth.
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Rome: Empire, Power, People

This Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is a vibrant exploration of Ancient Rome.

A smiling woman with blond hair holding up a whole cherry pie in a dish in front of her chin, with steam rising from the pie.
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Waitress The Musical

The irresistible Broadway hit about resilience, friendship and hope.

A stand-up comedian talking into a microphone they hold in their hand, performing live on stage.
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Main Stage: Stand-Up Comedy

Have a laugh with stand-up comedy from Australia's best comedians, plus international drop-ins.

Three ballerinas on a darkened stage in glowing tutu dresses.
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Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show

The classic fairytale is reimagined with glow-in-the-dark costumes and luminous staging.

The full cast of the musical Book of Mormon on stage singing and dancing, with a painted sky coloured background and other theatre props.
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The Book of Mormon

Australia’s biggest ever musical comedy returns this February.

A solar eclipse, with light emerging around the edges of the blacked-out sun.
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Solar Tours

Come and experience the wonders of the Sun at the historic Melbourne Observatory.

Market stallholder with her puppet toys, beside the Yarra River in the CBD.
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The Southbank Makers Market

Explore the Southbank Makers Market every Sunday on the promenade at Southgate.

Three people standing for a selfie on the ground at the MCG.
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Sports Precinct Walking Tour

Explore Melbourne's sports precinct on foot with a local guide, including a tour of the MCG.

Black and white photograph from the 1960s of model, Twiggy, wearing a mini-dress at the Melbourne Cup.
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Swinging 60s

This exhibition looks at what it was like to live in Victoria during the 1960s.

Two people on a stage giving each other a high five, one also holding a microphone.
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Comedy at the Coopers Inn

A comedy club featuring the best local, interstate and international stand-up comedians.

Workshop class participants smiling in a studio setting, holding up mosaic pots and coasters they have made.
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Mosaic Making Workshop for Beginners

Learn the art of creating beautiful mosaics from start to finish.

People looking up at the trees on a guided walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
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Aboriginal Heritage Walk

Wominjeka: journey into Melbourne Gardens with an Aboriginal guide.

A crowd of people at night, seated and socialising at Whitehart Bar, a multi-level outdoor venue.
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Hartbeats Live Jazz

Settle in for live jazz, deep grooves and an afternoon that slowly drifts into night.

Two three-tiered cake stands displaying sweet and savoury cheese treats on a white table.
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High Cheese

A refined three-tiered journey, reimagined through cheese.

The shopfront of a Japanese-style craft workshop with brightly coloured craft materials on shelves and a neon sign.
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DIY Craft Workshops

Unleash your creativity at these workshops where everyone is a designer.

Interior of a bar decorated with colourful lamps, small paintings hanging on the red walls, with small tables and chairs arranged in the space.
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Melbourne Hidden Bars Walking Tour

Discover Melbourne's hidden bars – down alleys, in basements and behind closed doors.

A person pouring out a measure of Aperol into a metal measuring cup.
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Cocktail Making Class

Mix, shake and sip your way through the ultimate cocktail class in a hidden Melbourne bar.

The lobby of a comedy venue, with a blue velvet couch and red curtains.
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Sunday Night Stand Up Comedy Show

See some of Melbourne's best stand-up comedy, every Sunday night.

A group of smiling participants in a studio workshop setting, holding glass-domed terrariums.
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Serene Terrarium: Workshop for Beginners

Create your mini plant world while enjoying a soothing cuppa and a calming environment.

A large group of people in active wear all running on a path in park.
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Run the Tan: Run Club

Start the weekend off on the right foot with a run around the Tan.

Workshop participants smiling and holding multicoloured mosaic tiled coasters.
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Colourful Mosaic Coaster Workshop

Come and make mosaic coasters and step into the world of colours.

An early watercolour painting of Melbourne's Yarra River.
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Yarra: Stories of Melbourne's River

Explores the chequered history of the stream we call the ‘city’s river’.

A concrete green water trough for horses to drink from, in a Melbourne city street.
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Footsteps Through Time: Melbourne's History Walk

Step into Melbourne’s past on this two-hour guided walking tour of laneways and hidden stories.

A close up of flower made from enamel craft
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Cloisonne Enamel Painting Workshop for Beginners

Create a unique drink coaster using the ancient cloisonné art.

Three people on a walking tour with a Fit City tour guide, two carrying a takeaway coffee.
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Laneways and Lattes Walking Tour

Explore Melbourne’s hidden laneways with coffee, street art, history and culture.

Two people seated below a neon sign.
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The Story of the Moving Image

A permanent exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.

Animator and filmmaker Adam Elliot working on a claymation set, adjusting characters.
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Making Memoir of a Snail

Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.

A group of people on a guided walk of the Royal Botanic Gardens, with trees in the background.
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Free Guided Walk

A free guided walk is the perfect way to enjoy the sunny weather in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

A small tour group looking up from the ground floor of the La Trobe Reading Room.
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State Library Victoria Unlocked

On this exclusive tour, gain access to State Library Victoria before the doors open to the public.

Three smiling workshop participants in a studio space, holding up jewellery they have made.
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Polymer Clay Earring Workshop

Create beautiful jewellery in this fun workshop.

Visitors walking through a 3D simulation of the cosmos using wireless VR headsets.
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Starstruck

Smithsonian Starstruck is an immersive 3D journey to the cosmos.

A plate of fluffy pancakes with ice-cream and chocolate over the top.
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Chocolate Family Adventure Day

Enjoy an all-inclusive, stress-free family outing filled with fun, creativity, and delicious treats.

Three coloured gin-based cocktails with platters of snacks.
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Gin-dulgent High Tea Experience

Take your seat for a guided gin high tea like no other with bottomless sparkling.

Man holding an old-fashioned lantern outside illuminated Flinders St Station at night, wearing a suit and cap.
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Hidden Melbourne: Ghosts, Murder and Mystery

Take a spine-chilling journey back in time to explore the rich paranormal realm of Old Melbourne.

A dark interior space, with smoky purple rounds of light, silhouettes of people's arms pushing into these open spaces.
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Imaginator

An immersive experience that celebrates imagination, technology and play.

An Incan sun mask lying on greenery, part of the Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City virtual reality experience.
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Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City

A 4D virtual reality experience that lets you explore the Incan citadel in the Peruvian Andes.

Installation view of the Spartans & Anzacs exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance, with people walking around the space, reading panels and looking at displays.
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Spartans & Anzacs

This exhibition invites reflection on the enduring values forged in conflict.

Novelty wind-up chattering teeth against a yellow background.
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Basement Comedy Club: Weekend Showcase

Bringing you the biggest names and best comedians in the country, and beyond.

Black and white photograph of a busy Melbourne city intersection with trams, cars, people crossing the road, and buildings, dating from around the 1950s or 1960s.
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Making Modern Melbourne

This free exhibition examines the tumultuous twentieth century in Melbourne.

Four rows of people sitting smiling and laughing.
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Kings of Comedy: Underground, Uncensored, Unrivalled

Enjoy stand-up comedy from future stars and celebrity guest headliners.

Two different hands holding two wine glasses, resting on a restaurant's dining table, a plate of food and napkins also on the table.
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Mystery Sidedoor City: Wine and Asian Fusion Bites

Enjoy off-menu bites and paired drinks at a hidden Melbourne venue on this guided tasting adventure.

Four women standing and holding up small mosaic lamps in front of a circular neon sign.
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Mosaic Art Classes Melbourne: Turkish Lamp Workshop

Make beautiful mosaic lamps at this Turkish lamp workshop

A little girl looking at a colourful display of cushions in an art gallery.
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Children's Play: Ragnar Kjartansson

A new children's exhibition by Ragnar Kjartansson, inspired by the idea of a theatrical feast.

Four cabaret performers surrounded by pink and yellow feather fans.
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Cabaret Ridiculous

An hour of variety entertainment that’s as unpredictable as it is unforgettable.

See all events on this weekend

More to explore

People milling around Fed Square at sunset.

What's on today

Discover free events, epic festivals and shows on in Melbourne today.

A night tennis match at Rod Laver Arena.

Major events

From the Australian Open to the Melbourne Cup, major events take centre stage throughout the year.

Crowds exploring an ornate government house room styled in blue and gold.

What's free in Melbourne this month

Everything to see, do and enjoy in Melbourne for free this month.

A chef cooking meat skewers over a flaming grill.
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What's on in November

Things to do in Melbourne in November, from free events to exhibitions and places to visit.